One of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Chris Hemsworth skyrocketed to fame for his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films. Hemsworth’s portrayal of the god of thunder cemented him not only as a massive action star, but as a comedic force to be reckoned with. While the actor has hopped between genres and franchises, landing roles in everything from Ghostbusters (2016) to Men in Black: International, Hemsworth hasn’t been able to find a suitable MCU replacement role. For example, Men in Black had the potential to relaunch the beloved series, but it bombed at the box office.

A box office smash, Thor: Love and Thunder failed to garner the acclaim of Thor: Ragnarök. As the MCU struggles to find its footing, Hemsworth has similarly scrambled to find a franchise with as much staying power and money-making potential. The only series that’s come close is Hemsworth’s two-movie Extraction franchise, which garnered a whopping 99 million views in its first four weeks on Netflix. Meanwhile, the one-off Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is struggling at the box office. However, a recent announcement teases that Chris Hemsworth’s upcoming role will become his next ultra-successful franchise.

Chris Hemsworth’s Post-MCU Theatrical Franchises Have Struggled

Thor Remains Hemsworth’s Defining Role

The streaming-only Extraction movies aside, Chris Hemsworth has not found a post-MCU franchise that similarly soars in theaters. The Hollywood star has appeared in solid one-off flicks, like 2018’s neo-noir thriller Bad Times at the El Royale. Even Chris Hemsworth’s Dementus in Furiosa, the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel, puts his impressive talents on display. Unfortunately, none of these films have spawned franchises. While the upcoming animated movie Transformers One, which sees Hemsworth voicing Optimus Prime, has the potential to launch a successful series, a different crossover franchise might really become the actor’s MCU replacement.

Reportedly, Chris Hemsworth has landed a second Transformers movie role. While 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts faltered, the next live-action entry in the alien robot franchise promises something fresh: A crossover between Transformers and the G.I. Joe franchise. In Transformers: Rise of the Beasts‘ ending, protagonist Noah (Anthony Ramos) meets Agent Burke (Michael Kelly), a government operative who works for the G.I. Joes. Given the brands’ dual success in the 1980s — and their Marvel Comics crossovers — a G.I. Joe/Transformers silver-screen team-up holds a ton of potential, especially with Hemsworth starring.

The Transformers/G.I. Joe Crossover Can Give Him His Next Big Franchise

Chris Hemsworth Needs A Blockbuster MCU Replacement

Following the cliffhanger ending of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Paramount officially confirmed the Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover movie. Starting with 1986’s G.I. Joe and the Transformers comics crossover, the two beloved brands have joined forces on the page. Since 2014, Hollywood has teased its own version of the massive crossover, but it’s taken over a decade for that to truly materialize. Given the built-in appeal of both the billion-dollar Transformers movies and the enduring G.I. Joe brand, the crossover film is positioned to be Chris Hemsworth’s biggest, most lucrative post-MCU role yet.